This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
It is known from the prior art to employ one or more camera devices on a vehicle for sensing an outside area (e.g., a rear outer region) of a vehicle. The camera devices in this case provide image information about the outside area that can serve to improve and/or extend the visibility of a driver of the vehicle. Thus, it is possible, for example, that the image information from a rear camera is displayed on a monitor in the passenger compartment when a reverse gear of the vehicle is engaged for parking.
However, prior art camera devices in vehicles often are of only very limited utility for certain situations, such as parking. Moreover, it has proven to be a disadvantage that the driver can be distracted while driving by the image information about the outside area of the vehicle that is provided. In this regard, it is additionally a problem that the outside area that is displayed frequently is not the safety-relevant area that must be viewed during travel. Thus, depending on the camera position, the provision of image information can also compromise safety during travel.